Product Description
Formerly handed down under oath of secrecy, this clear, concise handbook discusses: the fundamental principles of alchemy; directions for the formation of an inexpensive home laboratory, with illustrations of the necessary equipment; step-by-step instructions for the work of the Lesser Circulation, the alchemical transformation within the plant kingdom?the necessary prerequisite for any work in the mineral kingdom. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Very good book worthwhile to read
Why not 5 stars?

For two reasons:

1) Alchemy (The Weiser Concise Guide Series) by Brian Cotnoir is a better introduction, although, wisely, it contains little about the "Great Work".

2) The author, Frater Albertus, includes theosophistic (source: Mme H. P. Blavatsky et al) confusion like the notion of literal "re-incarnation", something of a "New Age" dogma but, alas, an erroneous 19th century amalgamation of the two traditional doctrines of metemphychosis and transmigration.

The last sections of the book, beginning with Chapter VII, "Wisdom of the Sages", are NOT superfluous but on the contrary contain several strong hints and useful warnings about certain materials and processes of the Great Work.

The section "Alchemy and Philosophy" in the Conclusion is truly outstanding, showing how some of the theories of modern chemistry can be usefully, harmoniously and seamlessly integrated into the traditional framework of hermetic philosophy and alchemy.

Fr. Albertus is respected for a reason, but I can't gather it from this book
This is a very entertaining, beautifully written book that it is difficult to gather much useful information from. Not citing sources is a big problem in many texts of this genre: the reader is expected to rely on the authority of the author, who has a lot to say about "what alchemy is" or "what alchemists think" without referring in detail to exactly where the ideas come from. Frater Albertus did run the important Paracelsus Research society, and is popular among occultists for his book's use for meditational purposes incontemporary "spiritual alchemy"--which I'm not really qualified to comment on (my research focuses on alchemical theologies in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, which are not much like what is represented here). Those interested in Jungian alchemy-as-depth-psychology will find much grist for the mill here that seems to correspond to a concrete theoretical intellectual discipline organized around alchemical symbolism, but those who wish to find out more about the chemical processes involved from a scientific or materialist viewpoint will be disappointed and should seek elsewhere.

An Alchemical Cornerstone
"The Alchemist's Handbook" by Frater Albertus is the one that started it all. Prior to its publication in 1960 there was almost nothing available in the popular literature regarding actual alchemical practices. Written mainly as a beginner's guide as well as an introduction to the Paracelsus Research Society he would later found, the "Alchemist's Handbook" has guided many on their first steps of the alchemical path. Criticised as being heavy on theory and light on practice, it follows the alchemical injunction of 'theory before practice' and does give enough practical information to begin making spagyric products.

Since the creation and later closing (2000)of the Franco-American alchemical society The Philosophers of Nature there has been an explosion of alchemical information on the Internet, in addition, much of this material has also found its way into print. In 2006 at least three books addressing practical laboratory methods appeared in print, all in some fashion having a connection to Albertus and this slim but important book. One of Albertus' later works, "Praxis Spagyrica Philosophica - Plain and Honest Directions on How to Make the Stone" contains additional information and should also be read, unfortunately it is often out of print.

If you are new to hermeticism and alchemy and would lilke to know a little about practical work, or are seeking foundational steps along the path of the Philosophers, this book is for you.

Practical (Laboratory) Alchemy!
Somewhere between the Renaissance and the late Industrial Era, Alchemy changed from an esoteric practice performed practically, in a laboratory environment, to a New Age process by which one changes themselves through meditation and mysticism. All of the ancient texts and grimoires have been construed in this light, now being seen as "blinds", whose real subject was purely spiritual, the whole laboratory process not intended to be taken seriously. Despite the history of the development of modern chemistry, New Agers have bought into this, and the number of texts out there to help the aspiring "spiritual alchemist" in "translating" the ancient grimoires on the subject and their techniques to spiritual practice abound.

This book goes a long way to putting things back the way they were intended. Frater Albertus (one Albert Reidel), who, along with John Reed, is widely regarded as one of the re-discoverers of modern practical alchemy, believes that grimoires say what they mean, and that the techniques within were designed to be practiced, not as metaphors for further practice and techniques. In the extraordinary handbook for the beginner, Reidel illustrates in detail the basic principles of practical (laboratory) alchemy, and describes for the beginner all the things that they will need, both to know and to practice, in order to begin this most fascinating Art and Science.

It is a beginner's book, without doubt but, coupled with Junius's Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy, it will get the aspiring alchemist pretty far along the path before additional instruction is required. At that point, the alchemist will need to seek out and enroll in the 7-year course (some have done it in less) in Practical Alchemy prepared by Reidel, or wait until Mr. Joseph Lisiewski finishes his summary course based on the same (pull your finger out, Jo!).

Very highly recommended!

As advertised
This is a great beginner's book into the art of practical alchemy.It gives advice on how to set up a practical alchemical lab using widely available apparatus, and how to get started with the Lesser Circulation (herbals).Also included is a great overview of the Magnum Opus of alchemy. A must-have on any alchemist's shelf, or for anyone interested in alchemy. ... Read more

Product Description
From the medieval cosmogram and images of Christian mysticism, this book explores the world of alchemy up to the art of the Romantic era. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

smaller than expected
the book is too small for the beautifully colored plates to be of any value besides affording some general idea of what an alchemical illustration looks like.for the price, and considering the Taschen name, I expected a larger format book.nowhere on the description page does it say that the book is hardly 5 inches by 8 inches, which makes seeing any detail in the images nearly impossible.

Something new every time
I've had a copy of this book for awhile and purchased another copy for a friend. Every time I pick up this book, something new pops out. This is absolutely the most complete book on alchemy and mysticism- the selection of color images is amazing, filling up just about every page with a description on the side. This thick book is worth it!

Alchemy Anyone? Then this is your book!
What a wonderful resource! This book offers so many alchemical and hermetic diagrams and illustrations, it's hard to choose where to start. From the musical and mystical illustrations of Robert Fludd, to William Blake, this book has it all.

Nicely organized by numerous categories such as "Light and Darkness," "Serpent," and "Divine Geometry." The only drawback is that the descriptions for the illustrations are sometimes difficult to understand. I'm not an expert on alchemy, and at times I became a bit frustrated since some of the concepts are not easily grasped.

But perhaps it is not necessary that just our intellect comprehends these phenomenal drawings since many of the illustrations visually send messages our subconscious minds receive and interpret. For that reason alone, this book is a must-have for anyone seriously interested in learning and experiencing more about alchemy and hermeticism.

Deserves 6 Stars.Totally freakin awesome!!
All the other reviewers have already said it:this book is absoluteley amazing and the price .. I feel almost guilty paying so little for it.This book is a treasure of the ages.I didn't know much about alchemy when I bought it (though the subject is one that has always interested me.)Reading it was a long, slow, contemplative journey.There's a vast wealth of information there, between the glorious pictures and the intelligent captions, the thoughtful text at the beginning of each section ... It seems alchemy is not merely a materialistic quest for profit by turning cheap metals into gold; the true goal of "philosophical" alchemy was to turn the alchemist himself into spiritual gold, in other words, to obtain enlightenment.It's a quest to find God, and many of its principles cannot be explained in words.Many of its secrets cannot be told except in cryptic hints and mysterious symbols, because discovering the key for yourself is part of the journey.Reading this book feels almost like taking a few steps down that road, and glimpsing from far away the great Light waiting at the end of it ...
This is definitely a "must read" if you have any interest in metaphysical subjects.

really great
Everyone else is saying what I would. This book is fantastic. Great illustrations, great captions, great information hard to find elsewhere! Get it! ... Read more

Product Description
This book includes chapters on do-it-yoursel f projects for finishing touches, including tassles, ageing fabrics and metals, valances and draperies, picture matting and more. Style setter Rebecca Purcell shows how anyone can create expressive rooms. ' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Fantasy and practicality, together at last
Clear, practical instructions on decorating in general as well as how to achieve the atmosphere portrayed in the book's fascinating photos. I collected her gorgeous ABC ads -- hope there will be another book.

Not your usual decorating, thank goodness!
I do NOT have a french or english country estate, so decorating books showing large rooms are not helpful for me. I hate French country decor, with the stupid ugly chickens and everything painted mustard and blue.Pottery Barn, Res Hardware and Crate and Barrel are handy but cookie cutter...This book is not any one of these things and I really love it! Someof the decorating styles, like "Alienated" are a bit too eccentric even for me but I love seeing the ideas taken to completion with out appology. It's not about shabby chic, it's more eccentric than that, like vintage photos of show girls, morrocan lamps and velvet couches...I really hate decorating books whereeverything is painted flat white, like an apartment, and cutsy little flowers everywhere. Too girly. No punch. This book is using what you love, even if, or especially if, its odd to create atmosphere with attitude. I think this is especially good for people with old houses or apartments, who are good at found art and collage. If your mother was an antique dealer like mine and you have mis matched yet interesting things, there are very useful ideas here. Medieval enthusiasts and goth kids would love this book. People with Magickal households that have unusual things would love this book, as well.

My Favorite "Decorating" book
This is more of an analysis of your artistic style than one of those cookie cutter decorating books--every page is amazing.If you are artistic & don't like to follow current trends, you will love the offbeat, quirky ideas.Worth every penny--sequel, please?

Decorating Eden
Firstoff the four stars is hard to explain. I want to give this item five. But there is a few things I cannot overlook. However, this book is amazing. It is a decorating eden, filled with wonderous things you should look into and explore. If you look at this book and you think "ack, $$$!! I do not have the money to pull off these styles" you will miss the entire point of the book. The entire book is about doing it yourself, and she does it on a penny. she explains throughout - its possible to get the look and spend a reasonable amount of money. The book is not about buying the most expensive antique. Its about creating. Its about making something yours fromjunk. Its about hooshing - making it yourself; spending no money. It is a tome of creativity.

The only reason I cannot give it 5 is the one chapter 'Humble' - while the style is visually appealing she seems to forget a few things, like sanitation. The cute little guest cottage is made out of an old large chicken coop, where the walls have sustained beautiful natural water damage. While asthetically pleasing, its mold. Also, chickens carry alot of airborn diseases that if you mess around in their dried feces (like oh say, in a chicken coop) you can inhale and get terrible things like meningitis. (It happened to a friend's brother of mine while he was cleaning out a similar coop to the one she uses. Not something to mess around with. And he was wearing an air filter and construction gear.)
While this chapter can be completely overlooked and ideas still gained from it, it completely ignores hygine and health. But honestly, this shouldn't make you ignore this book. Its a diamond in the rough. No book is perfect, but this - is pretty darn close.

My new decorating bible
I adore this book. I found a copy of it mysteriously in my office (I'm a set dresser) and it has completely overhauled my beliefs in decorating. The pictures are feasts for your eyes... There's just so much to look at, all layered so perfectly. I can't wait to create my own lofted bed, my own hooshes, and mysteriously curtained nooks. I feel like I finally fit into a design catagory.

Even if this book doesn't quite mesh as well with your design style, it is still interesting to look at the unique ways of decorating, and the text is lively and quite non-snore inducing (which most decorating books tend to be).

Amazing book. Buy it, you won't be disappointed. It will leave you yearning for another one from the very creative Rebecca Prucell.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

not what I was looking for
very old info .its not necesscary to make hash oil too complicated.only buy if you are like me an have to have every book about a subject.more of a pamphlet than a book

way too complicated!
if youve got your own lab and some good glassware and a firm chemistry knowledge and you want to experiment then this book is for you. but if you just want to make some hash oil, then there are easier (and safer) ways than described in this book. save your $$ and search google for "+BHO 'butane honey oil'" insted of buying this book.

Forget about acetate extraction!
Even though this book is somewhat good it certainly does not increase potency. In Chapter 1 alone the author is telling the grower to preheat cannabis in an oven so it crumbles easier. This only destroys some of the much need cannabinoids that you want. Just dry your harvest in a dark room away from any light and you will be able to crumble up your cannabis is no time. Then following this the author starts to describe how cannabis should be pounded into powder. Sorry but this book is supposed to be about high quality cannabinoid extraction and it does not really serve anybody with this kind of interest... but it will tell you have to extract THC from cannabis... or at least some of it!

What the author neglects to tell you is that it is very important to begin with the right genetics. If you have a plant that produces below average potent buds then no matter what you do you will only end up with average potent cannabis oil. This book is alright I supposed because it will get you there but I highly recommend The Cannabis Grow Bible by Greg Green for better information on cannabis oil extraction using butane (a very simple and safe process) or by water extraction to produce full melt hashish. The acetate extraction method described in this book is now somewhat obsolete. I just use the acetate process in cleaning out my butane extraction instruments for oil residue. The full melt water extraction technique is the way to go though. That is the true extraction method of the pros.

Very Informative
I enjoyed reading this book, found lots of good information in it that i was able to make easy sense out of (only grade 12 chemistry) i think this would be a great book for the novice or Advanced growers, as i'm sure they could find some intresting stuff in it

and more...
excellent intro to the art, however, the author is a bit dated, as any net search will show you how to do the butane extraction of pot to get gold honey oil.Nuke the oil in a microwave with acetic acid (photo shop)on the lowest power setting with a glass of water side by side in there (absorbs excess energy) for 10 minutes, and you have the thc acetate w/out blowing yourself up...

enjoy, and buy the book it's great! ... Read more

Product Description
In The Weiser Concise Guide to Alchemy, Brian Cotnoir offers a detailed, step-by-step introduction of Alchemy that explores its mysteries while illustrating its use as a modern spiritual system of attainment. He provides an overview of the history of Alchemy, from the first meldings of Egyptian technology, through the Middle Ages--the golden age of alchemy--right up to contemporary techniques. He demystifies the relationship between Alchemy and chemistry, and he provides evidence to detractors that Alchemy is much more than a medieval form of psychotherapy. (The guide includes practical laboratory experiments that safely, and intelligently, lead readers to an understanding of this ancient art and spiritual practice.)

"Brian Cotnoir's book provides an excellent and rare Ariadne's thread, allowing the reader to safely penetrate the labyrinthine mysteries of alchemy, and an excellent concise method to elucidate its enigmatic wonders and the practical possibility to discover its secrets. I highly recommend it."

-- Stanislas Klossowski de Rolla, author of The Golden Game: Alchemical Engravings of the Seventeenth Century and Alchemy: The Secret Art

"This is a lucid and sympathetic introduction to the inner and outer hermetic art of alchemy written by someone with a deep knowledge and love of the subject. Brian Cotnoir is committed to upholding the spiritual purpose hebind practical alchemical endeavour and his book is an indispensable guide to the Great Work." -- Nicholas Goodrich-Clarke, Professor of Western Esotericism, The University of Exeter, and author of Paracelsus, Essential Writings.

"Brian Cotnoir is a practicing alchemist. He contributed to Parachemy: Journal of Hermetic Arts and Sciences and is the author of Alchemy: The Poetry of Matter. This is one of his finest works to date, and it will serve as a reliable guide for those genuinely interested in magick and alchemy.

A product of over thirty years of dedicated research, this book is one of the very finest introductions to alchemy in print. Concise, accurate, and entertaining are three words which best describe this well-written account of alchemy.

Information on distilling and extracting aqua vitae and the "spirit of wine" is given. As well as information concerning the purifying of salts, and obtaining different oils of metal from stones and minerals. The material shared with the reader is clearly written, and what could be heavy duty stuff in a less competent writer's hands, comes across superbly clear and genuinely educational in the words of Brian Cotnoir. This writer knows how to explain well and write well. He is a master of his material and shares it openly and freely with the reader. It is an enjoyment to read what he has to say about alchemy.

The introduction is written by James Wasserman in his usual lucid and creative manner, and its content is highly enjoyable reading. Cotnoir's book is a small masterpiece, a book that educates in the true sense of helping learn and applying alchemy to one's personal life. For those interested in alchemy and related topics, this is a fine reading experience." ~Lee Prosser, Ghostvillage.com ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

It's dawn of modern chemistry.
This is actually a book for studying history of modern chemistry.Full of philosophical points of view, some are still relevant with current scientific development but some are already obsolete.

helpful
I got this book to help me on my comic book. Thou it didn't help I found it ok read. thou I couldn't really tell you why. the last chapter I had to force myself to read.

Dense, concise, clear, scholarly, serious
This is an excellent, serious book, complete with appendixes and bibliography. Candidly and honestly, Mr Brian Cotnoir states at the beginning of the short chapter 17, page 100, on the Opus Magnum that he had not yet attempted the Great Work but had done some aspects of it. By contrast, most books on alchemy restrict it to psychic aspects, neglect the operative and philosophical sides of the triangle and, often with reference to Dr C. G. Jung's psychology, go to great lengths to find analogies between what they think is the Great Work and the inner development of the soul.

Perhaps, as in many other cases, less is more, especially if holistic dynamic balance is achieved.

Although the author concentrates on the operative side of alchemy, his introductory chapters are amongst the best condensations of hermetic philosophy to be found anywhere. When Mr Cotnoir writes a sentence, most others write a page. He makes it clear that, even if one decides to pursue operative alchemy, he cannot at all dispense with hermetic theory and inner work on his soul.

The Weiser Concise Guide to Alchemy was published in 2006. May Mr Brian Cotnoir have meanwhile succeeded or in future succeed in accomplishing the Opus Magnum. To him the sincere best wishes of this reviewer.

A great reference
When I first heard that someone had written a concise guild to alchemy, I was very skeptical.I have read, and worked with, a few practical texts previously, and I simply did not think that a concise guide would be much use to me.I was wrong.I honestly return to book again and again to reference one point or another.I would not throw away the classic works of Frater Albertus or Manfred Junius, but I honestly recommend this guide to others.There are a number of matters from the classical works that I just did not really understand until I read this book.There is also some information that I simply have not encountered elsewhere.I have to agree with Mark Stavish, this is not the end all be all of alchemical works.It delivers what it promises, and I am glad I bought it.

This is the book for you!
The Weiser Concise Guide to Alchemy is an excellent book that though concise is comprehensive in its explanation of the philosophy and techniques of alchemy. Brian Cotnoir presents his vast knowledge in a way that is clear, well-organized, and handy for reference. Newcomers to the alchemical tradition as well as those who've long been fascinated by alchemy will find valuable information and insights in this book. If you really want to know what was going on in the alchemist's lab, this is the book for you! ... Read more

Product Description

The causal point of the things that occur in our everyday experience
isn t in the actions of others, but within each of us. During our early years, we are imprinted by the emotional condition of those responsible for us. Their emotional state overlays the essence of who we are, so that we learn to behave like them instead of growing up to be ourselves.

In Alchemy of the Heart, we are asked to become conscious of the ways we were imprinted and how these imprints drive our behavior. Our guide in achieving this is the heart and the language of felt-perception. Through this language, the heart enables us to re-parent ourselves and frees us to love unconditionally.

This journey is about allowing ourselves to feel life--to be present and awake in each moment, so that we really experience everything. It is the chance to participate actively, responsibly, and creatively in our lives.

Customer Reviews (14)

More simplistic than "The Presence Process," and unfortunately, more trite as well.
This book seemed like a lightweight version of "The Presence Process," which was already too fluffy. The author's extensive (and truly egregious) grasps at linguistic connections through phonetic bastardizations made the text almost impossible to take seriously. "Ineffectual" = "In-effect-you-all"? Really? This is what passes for insight?

Since this book seemed to me to be a watered-down version of an already weak "Presence Process," take the following review, then subtract most of the good parts, and you'll have "Alchemy of the Heart":

This book was recommended to me by a colleague and I was looking forward to incorporating its recommendations into my meditation practice. But while the book is thought-provoking and the practice itself beneficial, the task of wading through so many exceedingly repetitive and regurgitated concepts was a challenge. At one point, the author acknowledges how repetitive the text may seem, but claims this is for a higher purpose, to reinforce the concepts from different perspectives. He may think this is necessary, but when the repetition happens not just chapter after chapter, but paragraph after paragraph and even line after line, it just gets grating. I think Mr. Brown could benefit from a better editor--someone to help him cut down on the chatter and recall important concepts in more strategic places, rather than just battering the reader over the head with them. All this repetition wasn't profound--it began feeling less like like insight and more like self-important noise.

In that same vein, the use of phonetic word associations struck me as sophomoric and a little too '80s-self-helpy. It points to the very kind of mental construct (and in my opinion, self-serving "cleverness") that the author warns against. Just because "realize" sounds like "real eyes" doesn't mean there is a deeper, meaningful linguistic connection. This is a mediocre literary device, at best, but it is also incredibly distracting and not especially helpful or skillful in its intended result. To my great disappointment, the author uses this same device to a much greater degree in his next book, "The Alchemy of the Heart," which is, in my opinion, an even weaker version of "The Presence Process."

Lastly, while I agree that practicing connected breathing/meditation, and "just being" with our feelings and our breath is a good thing, I cannot agree with the author that all our physical, emotional, and mental ills are merely reflections of unintegrated childhood emotions, and that "becoming present" will cure these ills just because his own physical ailments improved when he began meditating and "integrating." When people's lives are torn apart by violence, hunger, war, poverty and any number of other traumatic events--as children or as adults--there is more than our "unitegrated emotions" at work in how we perceive and respond to these situations. When children are born with developmental disabilities or when environmental toxins and genetic mutations cause cancer, it is not our parents' or our own "unintegrated emotions and imprints" that are responsible. This view is not only ignorant of the credible and established *science* of mind-body medicine, it is insulting and even harmful to those dealing with these issues. Mr. Brown's view may be helpful for those hoping to reduce their stress-induced headaches, but it is ignorant and potentially harmful when it is offered as a panacea for all illness.

Overall, I would recommend the book for some of its underlying concepts and functional practice, but I believe it is also deeply flawed and even misleading at times, and I can't say as I would pursue more of the author's work.

Treasure of wisdom
I'm reading this for a second time and believe more than ever that it is coming from a place of truth and wisdom. It is radical, yes, but, refreshing to find someone how is able to eloquently capture timeless wisdom in a very accessible and direct manner. It resonates with authenticity. I look forward to reading the Presence process as a next step.

Highly Efffect-You-All
In some ways this book repeats the main ideas of The Presence Process, Brown's previous book, but they are messages well worth repeating. It is highly effect-you-all (an ironic use of Brown's ironic use of the term) to revisit this material again and again. It's about entering a very intimate relationship with your inner reality. To paraphrase something I remember from this book, "It's not as important to feel better as it is that we get better at feeling."

If you enjoy works by Eckhardt Tolle and Richard Moss, I think you will benefit from this book as well.

reaching the heart
This is truly one of the most outstanding books EVER!!!!I purchasedit after reading other reviews of this book on the amazon website.The author reaches to the "heart" of life. This is a "go back to book" to review and bring forth again the principles of truth.Will now move into the author's other book - The Presence Process.

able companion to the Present Process
Excellent follow-up to an original work. 6 stars is still not enough, and words do not work here, feelings do, and we feel with our Heart, so get to the heart of the matter and start living your life again, not that of or for someone else! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (10)

A Victorian Paris Mystery Extraordinaire
Carol McCleary's first installment of her new Nellie Bly mystery series comes out of the starting gate full gallop with a tour-de-force debut that will keep you up all night for one hell of a one-sitting read. Finely tuned polished writing and loveable characters will have historical mystery fans panting for more from this astoundingly accomplished new author.

Opening scenes of The Alchemy of Murder introduce the famous American female newspaper reporter Nellie Bly landing her first journalist job at New York's "World" office, hired by none other than Joseph Pulitzer. Seeing Nellie had an eye for a good story, talent for writing, and incredible guts to go undercover to get the nitty gritty and truth behind the scenes, he takes a gamble and wins, finding Nellie Bly to be a worthwhile asset to his newspaper.

Installing herself in an insane asylum, Nellie works in disguise to uncover the truth regarding the inhumane treatment women patients are receiving. While mingling with other ladies, pretending herself to be crazy, she befriends another women who bargains with Nellie to work together on escaping the horrors around them. While one night finding her friend missing, Nellie haunts the asylum searching for her and witnesses a frightening doctor doing experiments on the patients. Shocked, she realizes this mad physician has just murdered her friend. Determined to get the scoop, she is let out and there begins her first manhunt for a monster on the loose. Nellie then follows leads and other crime reports across the Atlantic to London, back home to New York, ending with a final journey to Victorian Paris where many sightings have been reported of a "slasher" mutilating and murdering women. He is called the Alchemist and is in hiding somewhere in the bowels and back alley slums of the rougher side of Paris.

Arriving in Paris a stranger and neophyte to the city, she makes friends fast and instigates connections with the city's renowned celebrities. With fortitude, charm, and wit, Nellie enables her difficult investigation to be aided by a host of unique and intriguing characters such as the flamboyant Oscar Wilde, the father of science fiction Jules Verne, pioneer scientist Louis Pasteur, and the zany eccentric painter Toulouse Lautrec. The gang's all here and what a wild ride and puzzling mystery this becomes. A host of delightful characters, murder, espionage, sarcasm and wit, action, history and a humorous romance, all create a well-rounded Victorian thriller you just can't beat!

I absolutely loved this debut novel and give it high praise. All ingredients are well plotted out and executed fabulously. Historical mystery addicts are going to eat this up and count the days until the second book arrives early next year where it seems Nellie will travel to Egypt. Well done Carol McCleary, hats off to a stunning new book!

Loved it!
The Alchemy of Murder is highly entertaining.I love how the story intertwines the lives of so many and keeps you guessing the entire time!A great read and I look forward to the next Nellie Bly book from Carol McCleary.

A "Can't Put It Down" Book!
This book is so well-written, it gets you on the first page!I special ordered it from the library and just got it two days ago and I'm already on page 107!

Nellie Bly is such an inspiration, she is determined, hilarious, and does not take no for an answer in a time period where women where supposed to be "home cooking and looking after their husbands".

Not only is this a murder mystery, it also serves as an historical drama as well.

Can't wait for Carol's next Nellie Bly mystery!

Alchemey of Murder
This book will hold your attention until the end. I got to know Nellie Bly in these pages and applaude her tenacity. I look forward to the next adventure of Nellie Bly. Great job Carol McCleary!

The Alchemy of Murder
I truly enjoyed reading this book and would pass along this recommedation to all who enjoy suspense filled mysteries that don't insult your intelligence. With a main character like Nellie you can't go wrong, she keeps you wondering and scratching your head. A must read until the very end. McCleary has harnessed a winner in Nellie and I can't wait until the next one comes to a bookstore near me. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (9)

What to believe
The theme of the book is alchemy - the conversion of a material such as lead to gold.The author presents some compelling evidence of this being done through the ages. It's sort of a hit and miss affair and not just adding A to B to get C. There are mystic elements involved such as the alignment of planets, etc. Nevertheless, this is an interesting read. The second part of the book deals with the Nazies and their secret research.This section of the book is more conjecture than proven fact.

Worth getting
Farrell's way of looking at things make his books required reading for anyone interested in learning about the world we live in.His books have much speculation, but also are full of "documentation" that always surprises me.

purely speculative
some good and interesting points are quickly discussed.
then unfortunately the authour starts exotic speculations going too far from reality and even too far from fantasy....
good the worlds spent on scientists like Heim, but then again demential fantasy starts taking over the story...

This book about alchemy is pure gold
I thought Farrell had exhausted this material, but
no, here is more stuff, plus details on the monoatomic
stuff. The review of the earlier material is good also

Probably the alchemists weren't in all cases getting
the same stuff, but similar sequences were involved.

Worth it's weight in gold.
Farrell's background in Patristics serves him quite well as he is unparalleled in his archival skills, at least as it relates to the modernresearch in this field. Several of the processes outlined or alluded to throughout the work, in particular the need for "gold purified by flame" being digested via the universal medicine is of particular interest. This material has largely been heretofore unavailable in a mass market work. I was greatly surprised by some of what was spelled out, but only those with eyes to see could put the subtle complexities into an understandable procedure. This is an excellent reference work and leads one to many sources that would not otherwise be known to the neophyte. A very timely work as well. ... Read more

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Product Description
Williams enables us to see how we can unthink the process that allows racism to persist. She presents an eloquent argument for keeping rights and affirmative action in the legal vocabulary--and a powerful description of the seemingly ineluctable status of black people in the United States today.Amazon.com Review
In a personal and profound examination of the United States legal system and its effect on African Americans, Patricia J. Williams uses the term alchemy--the medieval, mysterious practice of turning base metal into gold--as a haunting metaphor for the nearly mystical process by which United States law emboldens and endangers blacks through arcane interpretation, as well as the heroic will of a people to make those laws manifest. "I'm interested in the way in which the legal language flattens and confines in absolutes the complexity of meaning inherent in any given problem," she writes. "I am trying to challenge the usual limits of commercial discourse by using an intentionally double-voiced and relational, rather than a traditionally legal black letter, vocabulary."

With an authorial voice that draws upon Williams's perspective as teacher, lawyer, black American, and woman, The Alchemy of Race and Rights uses a palette of court cases, educational encounters, and personal experiences--including her discovery of her slave ancestor and her interactions with school deans over how to teach law--to create a literary cubist portrait detailing the rhetoric and reality that color the complexion of American justice. --Eugene Holley Jr. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Awful. Nonsense.
I can't even speak about Williams' ideas because her overly-affected, wouldbe-poet style obscures any real thought. No wonder this book cost me only $.50. Awful. Just awful writing.

This book is hardly about race, but is rather a tome of self-indulgent ramblings.

A lovely and deeply thoughtful work
The Alchemy of Race and Rights is a wonderful exploration of race and the law in modern society. In a whirlwind of impressionistic strokes, Williams beautifully illustrates the mutually constitutive nature of bodies and rules. Her elegant prose leads the reader to contemplate the law from a place where subject position is everything, and the false security of formal equivalence and abstract monetization are the very currency of oppression.

Though her writing style may be off-putting to those in search of a formal treatise on race and the law, and her fragmented invocation of the personal as a starting point for inductive work is sometimes difficult to follow, the impressionistic quality of the text is also one of its great strengths. In the end, a deeper meaning is conveyed through this sometimes schizophrenic free association than could be done through any more formally-structured argument.

Keep an open mind, and read everything twice. You won't regret the effort.

passionate diatribe
There is a lot to complain about regarding race and civil rights and this author questions how far we've come.

We have NOT arrived, she reminds us.

She is a downer and does not leave much hope, yet, somehow it is energizing to read.

A Widely Read Manifesto of Regressive Race Relations
A great deal of discourse has come out of the use of this book in my law class on the interaction of law in society, but I find it's use counter-productive to the forward-thinking goals of most academic institutions. Prof. Williams cannot seem to make up her mind on anything. She attacks Marxist lawyers, while at the same time advocating an affront to the bourgeoise, especially those without black skin (whites, Hispanics and Asians are all vilified to some degree in this book). While masquerading as a socialist activist herself, she then advocates a very right-wing goal of keeping each other in our respective racial boxes to keep order, even refusing to accept that she herself can be at once black, female and educated -- these three identities always appear separately for her. Her book is a regressive look at the future that denies the possibility of progress in race and gender relations. She is sadly unable to employ the power in her rights and instead prefers to wallow in a viscious cycle that refuses to recognize nuance, and prefers rather to assume racial categories, because they are simpler. Very few new ideas are presented in this racist, ethnically intolerant and misandric text and it is hardly worth a read, beyond the fact that it may come up in discussion.

More gibberish from the good professor
What a dreary tome. Ms. Professor Williams has a unique ability to obscure the most obvious and trite revelations in pedantic and turgid prose that she thinks is thrillingly poetic because the words are long-winded and flowery. and that's when she's making sense, which isn't very often. the rest of her writings tend to be either outright calls for more preferences for her preferred friends camouflaged as courageous iconoclasm, or just plain idiocy posing as intellectually daring originality. Sadly enough, if Thomas Kuhn is right, we'll have the likes of Professor Pat around for another couple of decades. (But hey, if you have the money, you can always sign up for the Nation's annual cruise and talk about the revolution with Pat and the gang for a mere 8 grand or so....) ... Read more

Product Description
A fascinating glimpse inside the life-and-death business of biotechnology.

"A tour-de-force for anyone who is interested in the biotech industry. I applaud the enormous achievement of Cynthia Robbins-Roth." -Frederick Frank, Senior Managing Director & Vice Chair, Lehman Brothers

"From Alchemy to IPO tells the dramatic story of this revolutionary industry as only an insider can." -George Rathmann, President and CEO, ICOS Corporation, Chairman Emeritus, Amgen

Written by a well-known industry insider, From Alchemy to IPO addresses the coming-of-age of biotech products and companies and traces the history of biotechnology from its early inception in the seventies to today's heyday of new solutions and breakthrough treatments. It describes the amazing entrepreneurial trail of product development, novel business models, and critical trials that eventually pave the way to market. This is the first book to accurately record the inner workings of an industry-biotechnology-that's on the verge of living up to its monumental promise to change the world as we know it.Amazon.com Review
Despite unnerving swings in individual stock valuations--orperhaps because of them--many knowledgeable observers still believethe 21st century will ultimately earn its stripes as the Age ofBiotech. Cynthia Robbins-Roth, named by Forbes magazine as oneof the industry's top insiders, certainly is among them. And inFrom Alchemy to IPO, she persuasively argues investors bettertake heed because they ain't seen nothin' yet. "Most of us think ofbiotech as medicine or genetically engineered crops," writesRobbins-Roth. But in the very near future, she continues, it also "maymake it possible for humans to reach the stars and to change theenvironment on other planets." Think that's far-fetched? She saysdevelopments like this are already in early stages and, in adeliberately proselytizing manner, traces their roots to the currentbusiness nitty-gritty, finally focusing on the long-term moneymakingpotential. "The biotech world will never be an easy place forinvestors," she cautions, but with hundreds of ongoing projects"poised to power into the marketplace," there will be plenty of"opportunities for investors and employees alike."Recommended forreaders seeking an informed tutorial on this field of thefuture. --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

decent primer for those starting in the industry
the author's tone was a bit weird at times, and the organization was poor at times, but nonetheless a decent basic primer on biotech innovations for those starting out business or investing in the industry

Very quick and great condition
Thanks to the Owen's Reads for sending me a truly Like New book that is a great read. I'm using this for an online Management class, as if textbooks weren't dry enough! I was pleasantly surprised by the novel-style writing of this book that made all the facts and figures engaging, bringing them to life. Best read I've had to do classes all year!

Execellent Resource for Biotech's Complexities!
I very much enjoyed how this identifies to the reader the back office complexities (made simple and easy to understand) that you never hear about and the process, including time it takes for a molecule to make it to market (assuming it does, which this book also explains well).

Overall, an excellent resource to anyone interested in the Biotech Industry's business end and investment strategies.

Good introductory text and overview of the industry
I read From Alchemy to IPO for an MBA course on entrepreneurialism in the pharmaceutical industry. Given my background (undergraduate business, financial analyst role, limited in-depth scientific knowledge), I found this book to be a very useful and balanced guide to both the business and technical aspects of biotechnology.

Robbins-Roth includes enough information on initial public offerings (IPOs) and merger activity among biotech firms to warm the hearts of the most resolute business student, but the drug discovery and development process is also covered in sufficient detail to give the lay reader an understanding for the operational challenges faced by firms in this sector.

Add to this the competent yet necessarily superficial descriptions of more esoteric terms such as monoclonal antibodies and combinatorial chemistry, and you have a solid text that covers the industry and its ongoing challenges very well.

Brilliant Overview
This is a great overview of the world of biotech.The author explains the science with clarity and enthusiasm and the introduction this book provides to the corporate side of biotech is also very interesting and well written. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

The ideal introduction to alchemy for the novice
This was my third book by Eliade, but certainly not the last. Eliade was a professor of the history of religions at the University of Chicago, among other things, but he was also very well travelled, having studied under the guidance of an Indian yogi back in Mother India. He was born in Rumania, a contemporary of the European idealist freedom fighter Corneliu Codreanu in the 30's, and in fact a member of the Legion of the Archangel Michael, a radical "Right-wing" religious organization opposed to the project of creating a new Israel on European soil. Although Eliade throughout his life claimed to be very "apolitical", his views on religion have a natural conservative and reactionary consequence, so hence this is for sure one of "our own boys".

This particular book deals with alchemy, not from a technical or chemical point of view, but from a historical, religious, cultural and to a certain degree psychological and traditionalist. Most primitive peoples had no access to metals (iron in particular) beside that which fell from the sky, so; "When Cortez enquired of the Aztec chiefs whence they obtained their knives they simply pointed to the sky" (p.21). Meteoric iron was among many peoples held in higher regard than gold, and looked upon as gifts directly from higher powers. From this first chapter "Meteorites and Metallurgy", we onwards learn much about how the first smiths, potters, carpenters and so on ritualized and sanctified their work and viewed it as a mirror-image of the original celestial creation. Later, Eliade teaches us on how many alchemists thoughts of the world as divided into sexes, and hence how various items, parts of nature, chemical solutions, metallic alloys and so on also were divided into various sexes.

We later touch on such issues as "Divine Smiths & Civilizing Heroes", "Smiths, Warriors, Masters of Initiation", "Chinese & Indian Alchemy", "Arcana Artis" and of course, one of Eliade's favourite subjects; "Alchemy and Temporality". All this, and more, in less than 200 pages of large-font text, who would want to miss out on that? Included is also a very useful and comprehensive bibliography. Eliade draws on both Evola and Jung, among many others, in this rather detailed research into the origins of alchemy. As always Eliade renders what is often annoyingly obscure into clear as day facts that anyone can understand. Ideal as the first book you read on this fascinating subject! 5 stars, without a doubt.

strong on ideas, research inconsistent
As usual Eliade spins wonderful philosophical and spiritual ideas laid over history. And they make engrossing reading. I don't know how much one can trust the historical facts cited throughout this work. For example Eliade says the earliest known metallurgy was in the mountains of Armenia in 1200-1200 BC. In fact it is now widely accepted that the Ban Chiang (present-day NE Thailand) was forging bronze tools and ornaments at least by 2200 BC, possibly earlier.

Still, well worth reading for the ideas.

Great Introductions to a fascinating subject
If I had my time over again I would read these three books on alchemy in the following order:All of them are excellent in their own sphere to introduce a complex process.

(1) The Forge and the Crucible - Eliade
This is an excellent prehistory of alchemy showing the patterns of thought out of which Alchemy most probably arose.An easy read.

(2) Anatomy of the Soul - Edinger
Set out according to seven processes involved in alchemy Calcinatio, Solutio, Coagulatio, Sublimatio, Mortificatio, Separatio, Coniunctio, this is an accessible book that puts each process in reasonably neat boxes, (though the considerable overlap and intermingling is acknowledged).The approach is somewhat mechanical.

(3) Alchemy, an Introduction... - Von Franz.
More 'organic' than Edinger, Von Franz has a very warm and human touch.She deals with the origins of alchemy in Egypt and Greece and delves into the 'Aurora Consurgens', attributed to Aquinas.She includes relevent and interesting case material.Being a transcription of lectures, it is a little haphazard, though none the less informative for that.

TAKING A GLANCE TO THE MYSTERIES OF ALCHEMY
Lucidly and masterly written, this study on the origins and meaning of ancient Alchemy is a highly useful and recommendable one. As always, M. Eliade has collected a vast amount of data concerning this issue and has reached far-reaching conclusions as for the value, the role and the meaning of the otherwise rather vague world of Alchemy. Very important for anyone interested in knowing about the theme. ... Read more

Product Description

"MY DEAD HUSBAND'S CLOTHES closet held me hostage for almost four years. In the early days after Arron's death, his clothes hung patiently in his closet waiting for his return. I would open the closet doors to see his shoes staring at me expectantly, longing for the warmth of his feet. I would stand inside the folding louver doors and cry deep, wet tears into his blue terrycloth bathrobe that still smelled of him. I fingered the striped flannel shirt that everyone hated but him. His socks were piled impossibly high in a rolling wire mesh basket. Another level of the basket held his underwear. They waited for him, as did I. I would close the closet doors and fling myself face down onto the bed in dramatic sobs.

The closet became a litmus test of my grief. Open door, cry, close door, pass test. Still grieving. Repeat in four weeks.

Soon, the act became almost masochistic. A crying dry-spell would send me back to the closet for a rain dance of tears. A whiff of his bathrobe was a reliable shaman. The tears would cleanse my body, releasing me from the grip of grief. Relief washed over me--I still mourned for my husband honorably, appropriately, with tears and sobs.

My brother [Matt] and Arron's best friend, Bruce, visited for Thanksgiving. I saw my opportunity to bestow some of Arron's favorite items on the people he loved. Giving his clothes and shoes to loved ones seemed preferable to hauling garbage bags full of him to Goodwill.

I watched as my brother tried on his cowboy boots--tall, slender, and full of swagger. Matt shrank in my mind to a ten-year old boy, trying on his older mentor's boots, proud, but not certain he would ever fill them. He strutted around uncertainly claiming to be honored to own them. I knew he would never wear them. Those boots were so ubiquitous with Arron that they would be unfathomable on anyone else. I had hoped that my brother might take on some of Arron's characteristics when he wore them, that the boots were somehow magic, but his tiptoeing inside of them, not wanting to fully plant his foot into them revealed the truth.

Bruce pulled Arron's favorite leather jacket around his torso, trying to make the buttons meet. The coat, which had fallen to Arron's hips, reached halfway to Bruce's knees. It took on a new persona on Bruce's body and molded itself instantly to him. It no longer resembled anything Arron had ever worn.

Despite the ill-fittings, I was glad for these reminders to be gone; to be the responsibility of someone else. I suspected that they would wind up at Goodwill someday, but I didn't want to know, I didn't want to be the one who took them there.

My brother and Bruce walked off feigning pleasure at their new acquisitions, but really I think they were pleased at having helped me through a difficult process. They seemed to understand by the look in my eyes, my relief at having purged a little of Arron in a loving way."

Customer Reviews (4)

Book Review: Alchemy of Loss
By now, we all know the story of 9/11 and the terrible loss that the United States of America and its citizens and residents endured.The unexpected and terrible loss of thousands of loved ones occurred creating a devastation unimaginable 9/10/2001.This book is Abigail's story about her loss, as well as her children's.For those who do not know the true definition of alchemy, Abigail provides it to the readers as:

"Alchemy is an ancient science and form of spiritualism that combines chemistry, metallurgy, physics, and medicine.Its followers aimed to turn lead into gold.

This transmutation process follows three steps.First there is a "blackening" where the lead is stripped of its alloys and broken down to its barest essential elements to prepare it for transformation.

... The next stage is the "whitening" process whereby the metal (or the human spirit) is cleansed and purified, transforming its original chemistry.

.... A red powder made from the mythical philosopher's stone mediates the final state, the "reddening," resulting in a superpure form of gold."

This book takes the readers through the alchemy of Abigail's spirit from the loss of Arron, her husband.Arron was at a business meeting at Windows on the World in the top level of the World Trade Center, Building 1.Arron called Abigail after the plane hit the building, assuming that a bomb had detonated in the building.He had asked her to phone the police.They didn't have the opportunity to say "I Love You" or "Good-Bye."Arron didn't survive the fall of the building and Abigail was left with her young daughter, Olivia, and her infant son, Carter (2 yrs old at the time).

This book takes you through Abigail's story of loss, mourning, and recovery back into a new life.She does, eventually make it there, and as the book cover will tell you she is now living and writing in Seattle, Washington.For me, this book was about meeting Abigail, through her words and through her recovery into her new life.As she tells her story, I felt as I grew to know her.There are so many components of the story that I can completely relate to... not just understand cognitively.. but, truly understand from being there in my own experience.From everything involved with her depression to her attempt at dating again in her 30's with 2 children.I've been there!

I know that my story differs from her in that I had the choice to leave my husband, but I must share that I've had sole custody and the responsibility of raising them has been mine alone to bear.With that said, reading what Abigail wrote made me feel more "normal" in what I've gone through in my alchemy, although I must add that I believe I'm still going through it.

Her words are real, her thoughts poignant.I love the final monument to Aaron, as there was really no "grave site" just for him.She built him a bird-bath, pictures hereinabove.It's a beautiful part of the story and boy was I relieved to read that she did take it with her to Seattle (thank goodness she addresses it...). Speaking of moving to Seattle, I've always wanted to do it myself.Makes me think about making that life change someday.I am really proud of her decision to start a new life there.

I'll leave the details of Abigail's story for you, because I believe that you should read this book... especially if you have children.It's not easy being a single mom and the transition into one is equally difficult.Couple this with mourning the loss of her husband... well, I just could really feel her words, her pain and her anger.But, what I will share with you are many of my favorite quotes from the book (my review readers know that when I've got a lot of them... I liked the book).

On Sher's "Out of Ten" Scale:
I really liked this book! Like I said above, I recommend this book for reading.Yes, there are sad components to the book, but watching Abigail be the "Phoenix from the flames," is so well worth it!And if you are married with small children, I believe this book will give you a renewed appreciation for that husband of yours...even if he is golfing on Sunday or you're a football widow.I'm giving this book a 9!

Passage Through Grief
Imagine watching the collapse of the World Trade Center on television knowing, but not wanting to believe, that your husband probably never got out of one of the buildings. Imagine two days later, your six-year-old child asking for a new daddy: "...if we had a new daddy, we wouldn't be sad any more." Imagine boarding a bus, one of hundreds in a convoy, more than a month after the attack to join other families for a public memorial honoring those who died. Imagine later that same day boarding another bus, traveling to a "Family Assistance Center" and waiting your turn to be handed a small blue box containing dust from the rubble of the twin towers that "represented" your loved one. Imagine being told to proceed down the line and as instructed, hold out your arms to receive a triangular folded flag, one hand over, the other under.

Abigail Carter is one of the thousands who found herself in these shocking circumstances. Her story, The Alchemy of Loss: A Young Widow's Transformation, is gripping, poignant, and strangely uplifting--when, four years later we applaud her ability to move ahead. It is the sort of book you can't put down. This is not fiction. I had to take it in small doses.

Abby and her husband, Arron Dack, were not native New Yorkers; they were Canadian citizens living in New Jersey, and had lived in Boston and London. Instead of going to his office that Tuesday morning, Arron was at the Trade Center for a conference at the breathtaking, glitzy restaurant, Windows on the World, at the very top of the North Tower. Abby was rushing to bring her six-year-old daughter, Olivia, to the school bus stop, while grappling to dress two-year-old Carter, when Arron called to say a bomb had exploded in the building. Could she call 911? It was the last time she would hear from her husband.

Abby relates her feelings days later:

"I was haunted by my phone call with him that morning. I replayed it over and over in my head. I wished I had sounded more concerned, told him I loved him. Instead, I had been dismissive, trying to get Olivia on the bus..."

Abby's support system included well-meaning friends, neighbors, and colleagues of her husband. But another day would pass before her parents and mother-in-law would arrive from Canada, crossing the border without incident, even though America was on high alert. Friends drove from Atlanta, Abby's sister arrived from Vancouver. Together these people began the task of helping Abby through her grief, while trying to manage their own. Abby eloquently describes her first visit to Ground Zero:

"The smell was stifling: a mixture of wet concrete, plaster dust, smoke, and burnt flesh. It was a smell I will never forget. It took me a long time to get my bearings and to imagine where Arron's tower had been. Not a single chair, desk, computer, or anything else was recognizable amid the rubble. I watched a bulldozer, balanced precariously atop one of the gray mountains. It moved back and forth awkwardly, bumpily, then its huge shovel rose up and dropped heavily to take a giant bite out of the pile beneath it. Be careful! I thought. Don't hurt him!...After five minutes at most, I was told it was time to leave. A party of dignitaries was set to arrive...I was angry that I was being made to leave. Didn't they realize how long it had taken me to get there? I had endured so much pain to finally reach this place."

If you ever lived in the tri-state area, you either knew someone or knew of someone who perished that dreadful day. Even if you had never been to the Twin Towers, you might have passed by the place on your way to work, or on a day "in the city." You felt a connection. My own family, son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter live in Manhattan. We scrambled to speak to them, learn they were okay. We had been to the Trade Center once for a joyful celebration at Windows on the World.

After the Trade Center tragedy, the Library of Congress created a new subject heading for published works--"September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001." Under the sub-division, Personal Narratives, there are just 54 books. Abby's memoir drove me to read others, such as Kristen Breitweiser's Wake-Up Call, and A Widow's Walk, by Marian Fontana. Although the subject heading is the same, their stories are not. Each is as unique as a fingerprint.

Abigail Carter opened her heart and mind in this intimate, valiant book. Her account of her passage through grief needs to be read. She, and thousands like her, are a source of courage for us all.

by Diana Nolan
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Beautiful Story of Loss and Renewal
"The Alchemy of Loss" is a compelling book about one woman's loss on September 11th and how that event ultimately transformed her life. Abigail candidly shares her journey from the first moment of realization that her life would never be the same again through the grief of her loss and dealing with the reality of her new role as head of a family of three, forging ahead to make choices and create a life that would allow her to heal and her children to be fulfilled, happy people.

I'm thankful that Abigail chose to open her heart and share her story...I think it's an important one for everyone to read, not just to be reminded to embrace the moment and live life to the fullest, but to know that change, no matter how painful, always has the potential to create growth, goodness, and hope.

A must-read
A first-hand account of a Canadian woman with two young children coping with the death of her husband in the World Trade Centre destruction.

It starts with a typical day in a typical family with the author Abigail Carter preoccupied with getting one of her two young children ready to catch a school bus. The phone rings and it is her husband telling her he thinks a bomb may have gone off at the World Trade Centre. Still focused with getting her daughter to the bus in time, Ms. Carter dismisses the news as just another non-event in the big city and responds to her husband as such.

Rushing out of the door to get to the bus, she does not realize that she has heard her husband's voice for the last time.

The book highlights the real pain and tragedy for thousands of ordinary individuals sometimes forgotten in the media coverage of national interests, formal memorial ceremonies etc.
Ms. Carter tells it as it is, without falling into the trap of sentimentalism or manipulation of emotions. The story, simply told, naturally tears at the reader's heart. I did not have a dry eye for the first 50 pages. But, as is always true in such cases, the tragedy is mixed with times of laughter, humour and wit about the absurdities of everyday life.

It is not a book trying to make a point, or a lesson in how to survive the death of a loved one. It does, however, provide an opportunity to understand, at least partially, ( I feel no-one not having gone though this could possibly fully understand what it must be like) the aftermath of such a tragedy. The book highlights the depths of despair and and the incredible will to survive inordinary individuals facing extraordinary challenges. It also reminds us that the World Trade Centre collapse was, and continues to be, an unimaginable tragedy for thousands and thousands of unknown individuals. ... Read more

Product Description
Identifies the role our hormones play in the different sexual stages, exploring the age-old concept of chemistry between the sexes and how hormones can determine the course of human relationships. Reprint. K. "Amazon.com Review
It's dangerous to blame too many of our behaviors andtendencies on raging hormones. We are, after all, creatures of freewill. But after reading Theresa Crenshaw's book, you'll never again see yourfree will as being all that free. The book functions as both anencyclopedia of our attachment-related hormones, telling us exactlywhat they are and exactly what modern science thinks they do, and aguide to what we can do to get them to keep functioning the way wewant them to. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

The Alchemy of Love and Lust
This book is pretty weighty and slow reading, but it does contain alot of information that was interesting to me as part of my own research.

The Alchemy of Love and Lust
THis is a fantastic book with information that everybody NEEDS to know. It will greatly improve your understanding of relationships and hopefully your quality of life as you get older. The book is very well researched and very descriptive - though it can be quite difficult to take in all the info at times. However - there are very useful summaries at the end of each section in each chapeter which summarise the main points.

Extremely revealing and a great read
Do you want to know what makes men and woman tick?, how they work on the inside?, what chemistry really is? - then look no further. This book is extremely revealing in that ive learnt that even an intimate cuddle can produce a chemical called oxytocin. And thats not all your learn. You will learn much more than a few buzz words in this book, what they are, how they are generated by the body and affected by external elements too - I highly recommend it to anyone that is even the slightest curious about all those feel good chemicals that our bodies produce during cuddling, menopause and even orgasm - its all in here. I found this an excellent book and companion resource for my NLP and psychology study.

understanding hormones influence in Love
Everyone should read this book before they think they are madly in love.It will help anyone discern whether it is the chemistry of our hormones or real love, or maybe both.In our lives it is often "hard to see the forest for the trees".This would help alot of people avoid making life mistakes.

Chemical determinism is not enough
The author of this book contributes interesting material on the important biochemicals (dopamine, estrogen, progesterone, LHRH, testosterone, prolactin, oxytocin, and others) that influence and help to regulate the universe we think of as "human sexuality." You will learn more than a few things. It seems that a working knowledge of high levels of testosterone can teach us quite a lot. (Women, proceed with caution!)

Unfortunately, she neglects other factors (and there are so many that make up human choices in love and sex: psychology, for example - and whether or not a couple has a single thing besides the kids to talk about after twenty-five years of marriage) that for me the information loses any authority it might have had.

In addition, she has an ax to subtly grind, and it is that men and women in their fifties (and older) have the very best chance for sexual compatability - for a set of specific chemical and biologically determined reasons. This information would seem to argue for couples staying together, but as we know, there are many other factors beyond sexual compatability (which is often fully present in couples who are literally coming apart - in every other way)that must contribute to couples' happiness - not to mention fidelity.

This book has interesting information about biochemicals' influence on our sex and love lives. You will doubtless recognize yourself and your mate in some of her descriptions, but as science it should be taken with a large grain of salt. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (11)

enlightening
this book is a wonderful introduction to the world of sound healing, and what was for me a completely new world and way of seeing the power we all have the possibility to tap into!
i found the book fascinating and very easy to understand
Stewart is such a wonderful teacher for our times!
i feel so lucky to have discovered him!
The Alchemy of Voice: Transform and Enrich Your Life Through the Power of Your Voice

Opus Magnum
Stewart Pearce draws you into a mystical journey to your inner Self... to your essence.

Have you ever thought, that you are constantly vibrating and that each and everyone of us resonates on a single note, no one else does - but YOU? That your personality has to do with that unique note of yours?
Many of us have forgotten how to use our personal notes... We've forgotten HOW to use our voices.

How could we otherwise explain the following symptomatic appearance....that we sometimes hang on someone's lips even when they read the train schedule to us whereas we're getting tired by listening to other people even though they provide us with information of prime importance?

This is not a book focusing on professors, teachers, politicians, actors or public speakers... this is a book for all of us.
Stewart Pearce succeeds in taking the reader at hand. He provides the reader in an easy and concise language with useful information, tips and exercises to get started and feel comfortable in using his voice in an easy and playful way.
If you learn how to use your voice, your life will improve in many ways. I really encourage you to read that book. Douse into the world of sound and accept your challenge to transform and develop your life in many ways with grace, ease and joy...
"Action is eloquence." (William Shakespeare)

Inspiring
Stewart Pearce is clearly a Master of Voice. However he manages to impart to the reader how they may find their own mastery. He helps the reader to develop and release their own skillset which may impact in so many areas of their life. This is not just suitable for those who use their voice in a professional capacity but also those who simply want to create positive change in their life.

The Alchemy of Voice
Stewart Pearce is truly the master of voice. The Alchemy of Voice condenses this Masters' work and explains succinctly and enjoyably this magnum in paperback. It shows us how to free ones voice so that we are healed, empowered and are speaking from our 'Signature Note'. By signature note, I mean that we speak our truth, and from our truth. It is a liberating and powerful place to communicate to the world, a place from which all is possible. Open yourself to The Alchemy of Voice and allow the Master of Voice to take you on this journey to liberate, as it has liberated others before you; through the power of sound.

Find the power of your own voice!
If there is anything really underestimated in this world,it is the power of our own voice and the incredible impact it can have on ourself and our audience. Stewart Pearce is called a Master of Voice and if you have ever seen him "in action" you will know for sure that he is a true master of his craft. If you ever had the fortune to see him teach "The Alchemy of Voice", you will understand that he is much more than that. He is one of this rare Initiiates, somebody who heals with using his voice, somebody who knows EVERYTHING about sound and how to use his voice as a sacred instrument. He provides you with simple but very effective exercises how to find your signature note, the one unique note you came into this life! Just being able to reconnect with your signature note is so powerful and will change you forever. His exercises are fun to do and easy to accomplish and the result will astoninsh and delight you. Whether you will use your voice to pitch for new business, to act on stage, speak in public or simply talk to your loved ones, you will feel and experience that you have developed a new power within, which has always been there - asleep - ready to be awakened! Whatever your goal is, you could simply use this book and learn the techniques it provides you or start the journey to find IT! The distinctive sound of your own note!
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Product Description
The Alchemy of Animation: Making an Animated Film in the Modern Age is a step-by-step introduction to animated filmmaking from one of the foremost producers of animated features. By drawing (sorry!) upon more than seven decades of Disney’s classic and beloved animated films, this stunning book explores the role of the directors, story artists, songwriters, and animators who each play an integral role in the creation of an animated feature.

This book includes a special focus on the digital techniques of filmmaking and fresh, behind-the-scenes work from the most current Disney films, including Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons, and Bolt, as well as showing other forms of animation such as the stop-motion of Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach.
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Customer Reviews (9)

Is it the alchemy!
I'm in Brazil and had no problem. The service is very good and I recommend to everyone. This book is amazing!

The Alchemy of Animation:this
this is good, but really not what I wanted to help with my drawing....I wish I had known that when I bought it...karen

Just like going on an animation studio tour
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2UH5J70FZ5206 This book is like a pass that will give you access to a tour in an animation studio. The tour guide here is Don Hahn, who has been in the animation industry for years, directing some popular movies like The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, etc.

Don Hahn brings us down to the production floor, visiting every department, talking about the people and their role in movie production. You may have seen many making-of videos from DVDs but this book is the one stop source to the introduction to animation.

The book introduces the process of animation from idea creation to the ending post production work. It looks at three forms of animation that exist today and talks about how they are created. They are the computer-generated, 2D hand-drawn and stop-motion production.

Included concept art, sketches, set photos, sculptures, storyboards, 3D renders and some discarded ideas are included. This is like walking along studio corridors looking at all the art pinned on the boards.

The roles and responsibilities of every crew working on the film is explained. In a sort of way, it's also a guide to finding what kind of jobs are available in the animation industry. For the longest time, I've been trying to find out what a clean-up artist does and now I know, which is to "clean up" characters making sure they are consistent in style.

For people interested in the animation industry or how animated movies are made, this book provides a very good introductory background.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

Animation
An animator friend wanted this book for his birthday. I figure it has to be good if he wants it. He's very picky!

A well-illustrated overview of the process of creating an animated movie
Legendary animator Don Hahm provides a well-illustrated overview of the process of creating an animated movie. Less a textbook and more an illustrated guide, "The Alchemy of Animation" won't make you an animator, but will give an interested reader an insider perspective of the work flow, as well as the techniques and work that goes into each step of the process. Hahm covers the three major types of animation, illustrating each with many pictures from Disney and Pixar movie. The computer animation section is heavy on recent movies and provides some preview art of the upcoming Bolt! movie. The 2D (or hand-drawn) animation section is fairly light, particularly considering the amount of art history that Disney could draw from. The stop motion section is almost entirely Tim Burton land--Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach- -but both are amazingly well done and classics in the field. ... Read more

Product Description
Written in 1941 by a modern day Alchemist this book gives a history of the art of alchemy from the days of Paraclesus through to the Comte De St. Germain. Mr. Cockren also gives a discourse upon his own experimentations, with guidance and interpretations for those who wish to follow in the footsteps of those who seek The Philosopher's Stone. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Tantalizing Hints at the Philosophers Stone
This book doesn't deliver a step by step recipe per se, but gives the modern alchemical aspirant plenty to go on in their own quest for the Philosopher's Stone. Definitely worth adding to your alchemical and magickal library!

I was expecting more...
Well in simple words... I was looking for more... half of the book talks about Alchemists in the middle ages, nothing there... then the rest of the books is just copy and paste of other books... very disappointed.

Introduction to Alchemy
This is very easy to read book on alchemy which may very much appeal to a newcomer.The first part of the book deals with the history of alchemy, early European alchemists, the story of Nicholas Flamel, Basil Valentine, Paracelsus, and then going all the way up to St. Germain.

The second part of the book deals with theoretical part, explaining the symbolism of the terminology used in alchemy.

The third part of the book is practical, and at the end of the book is The Revelation of Hermes, interpreted by Paracelsus, and concernng the supreme secret of the world - and that was almost the best part of the book.The whole alchemy is contained in it and it is rather simple and straightforward.

Discover Alchemy
PART I of this book deals with the history of alchemy. You will be given a quick history lesson on it's earliest beginnings and also a bit of history on all the most famous alchemists.
PART II deals with the theoretical aspect of alchemy, and the nice part about it is that it is not written in gibberish but plain english so anyone can follow with what is being said.
PART III is about the use of metals in medicine and other practical uses of alchemy. Plus you get to read extracts from 'The Golden Tractate' and 'The Revelation of Hermes'.
I found this book quite helpful in trying to understand the meaning of alchemy and the way to go about it since it was written by a practicing alchemist in plain english.

The first rediscoverer of the Sacred Science
This excellent book represents the first modern rediscovery of the deep wisdom contained in the work of Alchemy. Prior to Cockren, alchemical work was generally ignored or dismissed as unreadable and meaningless, nonsense and quackery. Cockren saw the meaning, the Divine Plan, in the writings of the great alchemists. He saw that alchemy was primarily a spiritual work. He translated and explained the hidden truths of the Sacred Science into language that modern seekers could begin to understand. If I am not mistaken his rediscovery of these truths actually preceeded Jung's.

Here in this book, you will find the explanation of the terminology, processes, and principles that you will need to understand the alchemical source works of Paracelsus, Flamel, Valentine, St. Germain, Cremer, Lully, Albertus Magnus, Villanova, Geber, Rhasis, Hermes, etc. Here are the Stages of the Alchemical Opus: melanosis, leukosis, xanthosis, and iosis or rubedo. Here is the Process of Operations: calcination, solution, separatio, conjunctio, putrifaction, ablutio, and rebedo. You will understand the difference between aqua fortis, aqua regia, and aqua vitae. You will have the keys to unlock hidden meanings.

Cockren wasn't merely an interpreter of the classic texts- he was a metalurgist and chemist who actually duplicated the work where ever possible. He actually observed these processes and learned their lessons. He understood the spiritual analogies and lessons that these experiments taught. He understood the meaning behind mere material things.... ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive course of Taoist yoga. Instructions by ancient enlightened patriarchs and masters are translated here for the first time. A classic work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Greater clarity in Taoist practices
I found this book to be an insightful read into Taoist internal alchemy, however I'd also say that anyone reading it needs to have at least a couple years experience to even begin to get the concepts discussed. What I found was that the book provided greater clarity about some of the different exercises I'd already done, but I also realized that if I didn't already have experience with those exercises, I probably wouldn't get what the author was discussing. It's a useful book to have for an intermediate to advanced Taoist meditation practitioner.

Spiritual Alchemy
After having read lots about physical alchemy, this book brings it all into perspective and shows the reader that the immortality they seek will not be found in a lab, but through spiritual practice.

I have been told how beneficial the microcosmic orbit is and how to do it, but this is a whole book on how to do it, and it really drives home it's importance and how it should be done.

This is one book, I will be re-reading until I memorize it. A must have guide for your spiritual journey.

awesome
this bbok is one of the premier books for a person on a true spiritual experience.The concepts are advanced but easily explained by the author . Would recommend this book to anybody serious of the work.,

It's worth your effort to practice
This is the best Chinese book on Taoist Yoga written by a great master born in Qing Dynasty. Charles Luk did a great job in translating this classic text (its Chinese original also contains the lineage of the master himself and his good intention to transmit this knowledge to a wider audience).The aim of this practice is to build an immortal soul (note: not an immortal body), and the process certainly demands more effort and time that can hardly be available to the average person who has to have a regular 9-5 job!The demand of such a practice is evident from the first chapters.Basically the first practice is meditation with one's mind focused on the point between one's eyebrows.Until when should one go to the second step?Well, until one gets into deep meditation that one (sorry for male only) gets an erection.And then one should test whether the erection will go away with simple deep breathes.If it does, sorry boy, continue your meditation.Only when erection stands after deep breaths should one do microcosmic orbit circulation (to "collect" one's sexual energy, so it says).

However, one should not be disappointed.If one's objective is to build a health body and a calm and relaxed mind (free from worry and depression), a contemporary teacher will advise one to do some initial meditation and then can directly go into microcosmic orbit circulation.After that one can practice (as per chapter 3) into opening eight psyche/chi channels.By that time, the practitioner's mind will be relaxed and his/her whole body filled with comfortable chi.He/she will come to a stage that he/she can benefit most, health wise, from the practice. For an average contemporary person, he/she has no need to proceed further (actually it would be quite difficult for him to proceed further because he lacks the initial training in total relaxation.Erection is actually a signal for being into the desired level of total relaxation; hence a female can also practice the immortal art, just that she won't have the benefit of a definite signal to go by).

Good luck to your practice.It's worth the effort, I can tell you....

A little too "out there,"not sure why I bought it in the first place...
The title speaks for itself.After skimming through it I realized I might have gotten a little carried away buying books on amazon. ... Read more

Product Description
Surrealist artist Max Ernst defined collage as the "alchemy of the visual image." Students of his work have often dismissed this comment as simply a metaphor for the transformative power of using found images in a new context. Taking a wholly different perspective on Ernst and alchemy, however, M. E. Warlick persuasively demonstrates that the artist had a profound and abiding interest in alchemical philosophy and often used alchemical symbolism in works created throughout his career. A revival of interest in alchemy swept the artistic, psychoanalytic, historical, and scientific circles of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and Warlick sets Ernst's work squarely within this movement. Looking at both his art (many of the works she discusses are reproduced in the book) and his writings, she reveals how thoroughly alchemical philosophy and symbolism pervade his early Dadaist experiments, his foundational work in surrealism, and his many collages and paintings of women and landscapes, whose images exemplify the alchemical fusing of opposites. This pioneering research adds an essential key to understanding the multilayered complexity of Ernst's works, as it affirms his standing as one of Germany's most significant artists of the twentieth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Max Ernst and Alchemy
Warlick's inspired and wide-ranging exploration of Max Enrnst's lifelong involvement in alchemy greatly expands our knowledge and appreciation not only of a major surrealist painter, but also of the entire surrealist adventure, and of the art of alchemy as well.

The Interior Of Sight
Maybe it's because Max Ernst is alchemy personified that this analysis of his work and it's connection to alchemy is more or less a complete biography the man as a whole. It takes you through his psychological developement as a child to the developement of his sexual identity and ties it all in with his drive as an artist and as an alchemist. Unlike other books on his life or work, this one fuses all the elements together: psychology, alchemy, art, the occult and sex. It's uncanny how much ground "Max Ernst and Alchemy: A Magician in Search of Myth" covers. If you love Ernst this is the only book you'll ever need. It's superbly fleshed out. I was left both wanting more and comepletely satisfied! I guess since this is the only book of it's kind it takes the cake. Rarely does a study of this calibre see the light of day! It is truly the alchemy of the modern day alchemist. ... Read more

Product Description
The black sun, an ages-old image of the darkness in individual lives and in life itself, has not been treated hospitably in the modern world. Modern psychology has seen darkness primarily as a negative force, something to move through and beyond, but it actually has an intrinsic importance to the human psyche. In this book, Jungian analyst Stanton Marlan reexamines the paradoxical image of the black sun and the meaning of darkness in Western culture.

In the image of the black sun, Marlan finds the hint of a darkness that shines. He draws upon his clinical experiences and on a wide range of literature and art to explore the influence of light and shadow on the fundamental structures of modern thought as well as the contemporary practice of analysis.

An important contribution to the understanding of alchemical psychology, this book draws on a postmodern sensibility to offer insight into modernity, the act of imagination, and the work of analysis in understanding depression, trauma, and transformation of the soul. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Interesting
This book offers a refreshing view of darkness and the potentialities for change that it can embody, while simultaneously warning of the dangers of going too far.Using references from patients to famous artists, scholars, and psychologists, Stanton Marlan explores the influence and application of darkness in our society.

Useless
The only reason I gave this product one star is because there's no option for no stars at all.Alchemy cannot be explained by psychology or academia.In fact, alchemy and academia, and especially psychology, are completely opposite in their aims and goals.Psychology reinforces ego while alchemy dissolves it.That is why people like this and Jung should be completely ignored; they speak from a basis of clinical, academic opinion and not actual experience obtained by realization.If you, who are reading this, remembers anything from this review then I hope you at least remember that.Save your money and spend it somewhere else on things that are more important.

Synthesis
Stanton Marlan has made a needed and deeply satisfying contribution to literature which synthesizes the obscured but major investigations into alchemy, masculine images of power and suffering, abstract and beautiful passages of negative theology.As a psychotherapist,I am profoundly grateful, excited and helped in my work with male clients.What is more basic or universal than experiences which draw on light and dark.

Unusual and mesmerizing
The Black Sun is an extraordinary examination of the alchemical stage known as the "nigredo"..the blackening or mortification, so often experienced as depression, terror, or madness. I was especially transfixed at the way in which Dr. Marlan expresses the paradoxical nature of these experiences in that the darkness itself contains a "shine" or luminescence, that is the light of nature, not that of heaven.The text is richly referenced with the writings of Dr. Jung, several case studies, and many other literary examples.This book is an eloquent validation of a domain of experience that is unavoidable, yet so often denied. ... Read more